Sunday, December 29, 2013

Sunday Supper - Chili with Corn Bread and Peppermint Ice Cream

Truth be told, I am not cooking Sunday Supper tonight. We have so much leftover food to work through so I thought I would share with you my recipes from Christmas Eve.

I make chili every Christmas Eve. Christmas offers a HUGE holiday meal so we don't want to fill up for the big day. Chili is quick and easy, which is nice since we have our Church service at 5pm. I have been on the hunt for real cornbread since I received a loaf of homemade cornbread last Christmas. But for the time being, we are a Jiffy family. So all I have to do when I get home from Church is brown the meat, dump all the ingredients into the pot, bring it to a boil and then let it simmer while the cornbread cooks (20 minutes). VIOLA - Christmas Eve dinner is done.

Growing up, Mother put spaghetti in her chili. This is evidently a Kentucky tradition but it is not one I carry on. I do however, put Frito's in my chili. Don't laugh - it is amazing. I learned this trick when I lived in DC. There was this great dive called Hard Time Café that offered different styles of Chili from around the country. Frito Pie was a southern variation that I fell in love with.....and so, it stuck with me. The crunch and the saltiness of the chips add a nice yet unexpected touch. Try it - you'll like it!

Frito Pie (aka Chili)1 pound ground chuck
1 can (15 ounce) kidney beans, undrained
1 can (14/5 ounce) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10 ounce) diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 envelope chili seasoning mix (I use McCormick classic)
1 1/2 cup of water
*4-5 servings
**If you double the recipe, double everything BUT DO NOT double the chili packet unless you like it spicy enough to knock your socks off. I personally like a hint of hotness to my chili but don't want my nose running and certainly don't want to break a sweat.
Layer a bowl with Fritos, ladle the chili over the chips and top with sour cream and shredded cheese.

For dessert we enjoy peppermint ice cream. You can buy this in the store during the holidays but it is equally fun to make and festive for Christmas. It accompanies the Hot Chocolate Bar wonderfully!

Peppermint Ice Cream3 cupscold heavy cream

1 cupcold whole milk

1 cupsuper-fine sugar

1 1/2 teaspoonpeppermint extract

4-5 dropred food coloring, if desired

1/2 cupcrushed peppermint candy, about 4 candy canes

*makes a pint

Whisk cream, milk, sugar, peppermint
extract, food coloring and peppermint candy together in a large bowl until sugar
is completely dissolved.

Pour into the frozen bowl of an ice cream
maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. It usually takes about
20 minutes. Ice cream will be soft set.

Pour into a large freezer proof container,
cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid, about 2-3 hours.

Enjoy this chili recipe on the next cold night - you'll be glad you did! And the peppermint ice cream is a special treat that the kiddos love to help make. Both are sure to be a hit at your house.